Numerous electronic devices use designated input areas, often in the form of “buttons” to which finger pressure is applied and interpreted to enter a command, and as the supporting technology has expanded, the use to which a single input element can be put has expanded. For example, when Apple Inc.'s iPhone operating system was introduced in 2007, its input button, the “home” button, was simply used to exit an application and return to the home screen. Subsequent advancements, such as Apple's iOS 4 operating system, introduced to the public in 2010, provided for multi-tasking. Such increased functionality incorporated “double clicking” the home button to switch between applications. The home button thus has matured to the point where it is now a multi function/multi purpose input/control element, having functionality that has expanded far beyond its original single click purpose to return “home”. Other electronics devices of other manufacturers have or can be expected to adopt similar functionality, providing a single (or several) button(s) to perform a plurality of tasks and/or enter a variety of commands, particularly in portable devices in which available space for operating controls may be at a premium.
While use of such operating buttons has increased, they often have an upper contact surface which is recessed from the surrounding bezel or surface on which the button is mounted. While such a construction provides for a degree of security against inadvertent contact, it often hinders effective contact, and offers little in the way of tactile feedback.
Because of the multi-tasking feature of a home button or similar tactile input device, the button is used on a continuous basis, and it is important that the user have increased control and comfort in using the button. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a button with means by which it can be easily tactilely identified. This can be of particular benefit when a group of buttons is present, whereby a particular button can be differentiated in a tactile manner to confirm its location and identity. Improving the tactile quality of operating buttons may also be of benefit to the visually impaired.